


Feel the wonder inside of us

by Talokina



Category: Uprooted - Naomi Novik
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, F/M, duh - Freeform, he's an actual dragon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-01-22 00:04:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12468996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talokina/pseuds/Talokina
Summary: “Why in the world are you here?” the dragon hisses with the voice of the wizard and I feel as if my world just has turned upside down, more than it already had.“Why are you an actual dragon?” I ask, no, scream, gesturing towards him with my hands.After rescuing Kasia from the wood, Agnieszka sees a side of the wizard she hadn't seen or thought possible.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sup, I got this idea stuck in my mind and I just had to write something. This takes place in chapter 11, after they saved Kasia and before Marek and his crew arrive. Fun fact: I was so unsure whether to use first or third person, past or present tense. I changed more than once. Still not entirely sure. Tell me what you think of the fic :)

I search for the Dragon, but I just can’t find him. At first it didn’t surprise me. Of course, there would be rooms he hadn’t shown me, secrets he and his tower would hide from me. Still, I have started to worry. I feel weary, the exhaustion of _the Summoning_ still in my bones. Tending Kasia also takes its toll on me: I’m constantly running around in the tower and I’ve been sleeping poorly. Kasia is getting better, as far as anyone who had experienced the horror she had been through, can be. She is resting, hiding under the blankets, occasionally whimpering in her sleep.

I have looked in every room I had been before. I have even screamed for him, loud enough to be heard, but no too loud so I wouldn’t wake Kasia. My throat is dry and I feel a little tired, but still no success in finding the wizard.

“Where could he be?” I ask myself, leaning against a smooth, cool pillar. Suddenly an idea forms in my head and I put my hand on its surface, connecting myself with the tower. _Pokaż mi,_ I start to sing, first a mere whisper, then slowly letting it grow so my voice echoes through the tower, allowing my magic to unfold. _Show me_. It reminds me of a game I used to play, running around blindfolded in the meadow, trying to catch Kasia or my siblings. I’m closing my eyes, letting my other senses and my magic guide me and only open them when I feel the air shift, becoming cold and dusty. I’m now standing in a narrow hallway, with only a stairway as possible road. Turning around, I realize that I have never been here before. Determined to explore and to find him, I walk up the worn-down stairs and ends up in front of a massive iron door. Grabbing the handle, the door swings open to reveal a big, round room. The room doesn’t faze me much at the first quick glance, until my eyes settle on the one thing that occupies it.

A dragon. A big dragon. A big dragon who could easily kill me and eat me, making me feel like a mouse in front of a snake. I feel my blood turn to ice and I can only stare at the sleeping beast, agape. It’s curled up like a cat, the long tail tugged under its chin. Curls of smoke are filling the air, giving the impression as if the dragon is snoring. Graceful wings are resting on its hindlegs, leading my gaze towards the spikes covering the dragon’s spine. In a bizarre way, the dragon reminds me of a stormy night sky. The scales of the dragon reach from misty grey to onyx and I feel the crazy urge to touch the scales and find out how they would feel like under my fingertips. With a shake of my head, I try to focus myself to the most logic task. Run away. But before I can do anything, the dragon opens his eyes, golden slits focusing on me.

“Why in the world are you here?” the dragon hisses with the voice of the wizard and I feel as if my world just has turned upside down, more than it already had.

“Why are you an actual dragon?” I ask, no, scream, gesturing towards him with my hands.

“You wouldn’t understand.” he snaps back. His tail is twitching, no longer tucked under his chin and his claws are scraping against the stone floor. He’s agitated, I conclude.

“Then try to explain.” When did my life start to involve arguing with dragons, real dragons? He lets out a low growl but I only cross my arms and raise my eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.

“My magic can be different, difficult even. It took me decades to comprehend and master it.” He stops for a moment, and his gaze turns sorrowful for a moment, the fragments of a lonely childhood passing by, before he focuses again on me. “Sometimes when I drain myself too much, the rest of my magic channels my title and I take that form to rest and regain my strength.”

I can’t help but raise my eyebrows, but somehow, that explanation doesn’t seem so absurd. I tilt my head and regard him more carefully, trying to find similarities to his human form.

“Stop gawking and make yourself useful.” he orders and I startle, having been lost in thought. The room seems to be made for this purpose alone. There isn’t any furniture and the Dragon takes up most of the space. No chimney either, but I don’t feel cold, since he’s radiating heat.

“What do you want me to do? Maybe get some food?” I imagine that he must eat, no matter how he looks like.

“Why, are you offering?” The chicken-hearted part of me flinches and I stare at him, wide-eyed, before I realize he’s only joking (at least I think he does).

“Bossy dragon.” I say under my breath and hurry back towards the kitchen before he can scold me for my comment. Because I’m curious about his current state and still a little tired from roaming the tower all day long, I take the meal I’ve prepared for myself and Kasia and throw a _Lirintalem_ at it. The result is pretty decent. I now have my favorite stew made of chicken meat, carrots and mushrooms, and for the Dragon a juicy piece of pork and beef surrounded by potatoes. I pick a second set of cutleries for him, so he can’t nag at me for forgetting it, and because I want to see his reaction to it. Setting everything on a dinner tray, I make my way back to the Dragon.

He’s still lying (although, what else could he do?) and doesn’t move when I come back but only opens his eyes.

“Dinner’s ready.” I say cheerfully, bringing him his plate and putting it in front of it. He eyes it with arrogant caution, sniffing at it, before opening his mouth and devouring the meal in two quick bites. He licks his leathery lips with his forked tongue before making a weird noise which I think is a dragon clearing its throat.

I can’t help but giggle, causing him to scowl at me. How it must pain him, he who loves order and tidiness, to be bound to this form. No books he can read, no letters he can write, no mess he can clean.

“Let’s continue trying to get spells into that thick head of yours.” he says, his usual wit and sarcasm lacing the words.

“This means you can do magic, even like that?” The question slips out before I can do anything and now he glares at me.

“Of course I can, daft girl.” I’ve grown used to his insults. Hesitantly, I let my magic flower out and reach out for his. It’s weird: I know how his magic feels like: it’s like him, proper, precise, sharp if it has to be. Right now, it feels different, but somehow the same, as if I’m seeing his magic from a different point of view. I would define it as primal or more unbound than usual. Still, I feel his power.

As his current form proves, he’s not yet ready to perform more sophisticated magic, and I’m not feeling ready either. No usual nagging from him, so I assume that he wants me to begin. Maybe he wants me to prove to him that I don’t need his guidance, or he’s just too lazy or uninterested to do anything. I shrug, close my eyes and prepare myself for the magic. After the strenuous effort of rescuing Kasia, I long for some easy spells and the cantrips he so desperately wanted me to learn come into my mind.

I almost laugh when I remember how hard they used to be for me. But now, since I now longer have to follow his methods, I perform them without any trouble. The tedious walks in the dark that had been my initial magical experience have now become pleasant strolls. The last spell I perform ought to remove the dust from the room but I kind of overshoot the mark, making the dust vanish in an explosion.  

“Sloppy but effective, what one can say about you and your magic.” he comments drily, and I grin. Only he can insult and compliment somebody at the same time. Still, a little bit of dust covers me, and I try not to sneeze. “It draws away the attention from your hideous dress.” He gives me an exasperated look.

I wipe my hands off and realize that my dress really has seen better days. Looking at his form and considering his slight obsession with my clothes, I have an idea. _Vanastalem_ I say, loud and clear. No simple dress appears, but something out of a fairytale. Layers of silk and velvet cover me, the skyblue color complimenting my fair skin and my gray eyes. A silver hairband tames my hair. I surely look like a different person.

“Who are you and what have you done with my apprentice?” 

“A poor princess, trapped by a horrible dragon.” I say, using my best whiny-rich-countess voice, while raising my hand to my forehead. He snorts, clouds of smoke rising, and I grin. Yet his eyes stay fixed on me and I try not to blush. Joking around allows me to unwind and to forget the crazy world I’m living in, if only for now.

“How’s your friend?” he asks, trying to sound casual, and I startle. Given his initial opinion on Kasia, I didn’t think he would care.

“She tries to rest, to regain her strength, but she can’t.” Seeing her in pain feels like a stab right into my heart. I’ve tried to help her, but even the spells from Baba Yaga don’t help.

“It will take time. You being with her will surely help.” I understand his hint and leave him to rush towards Kasia, trying not to fall in my dress. She’s awake, her eyes glassy and unfocused, the blankets around her seem more suffocating than comforting.

“Kasia, I’m here.” When she hears me, she looks at me and lets out a sob. I make myself comfortable next to her and hold her. She wraps her arms around me and I try not to flinch, the memories of her choking me still fresh. Time seems to fly, and I only let go of her when her breathing has become regular, a sign that she’s finally sleeping.

When I return to him, nothing seems to have changed, he’s still lying around.

“This really must be boring.” I say. All he seems to do is lying around. I would have gone crazy.

“What else could I do?” he hisses. “Fly around?”

“Have you? Did you ever leave the tower once like this?”

“Of course not.” he says indignantly and opens his wings, letting me see them unfolded for one moment, before closing them again. This must be uncomfortable for him too. He surely wants to move.

“Did any of the other girls ever see you like that?” While I doubt it, since that would have been a big revelation, I can’t help but wonder.

“No, only you. You change everything.” he drawls.

“You could do so much while you’re like this.” I imagine him flying around, breathing fire and burning this wretched forest. Legends of an actual dragon would keep our enemies at bay.

“No!” he roars, and I admit, it took a lot of me to not take a few steps back. “This is the main reason why the wood can never have me.” he urges me, his words now having a deeper meaning. I remember the horrified look on his face when the wolf had scratched and corrupted him. It all makes sense now. I see him as a weapon of the wood, a forest dragon, leaves and moss covering his shiny scales, branches between his horns, an instrument of doom, bringing only death and horror to the valley. The picture in my mind makes me shiver.

“I understand.” We seem to have an unspoken conversation between us. I understand that the wood must never have him, even if this means that I must kill him, or worse, us.

“Nieszka.” he says with a sigh and I feel my heart skip a beat. Girl, lunatic, creature, catastrophe: that’s how he likes to call me. Not my name and especially not… this. Nieszka is how my family and how Kasia call me. It’s used by people who truly care about me. “Try to get some rest too. I feel as if the worst is still ahead of us.”

“I’m sure that tomorrow you’ll be fine again.” I say optimistically, trying to change the subject. He only snorts in disdain. His empty plate is still standing in front of him and I decide to take it to the kitchen. Before grabbing it, I put my hand on one of his claws, touching the rough, and yet, sleek scales. I know that this is the equivalent of touching his hand, but my curiosity is stronger than my embarrassment or common etiquette. I withdraw and break the wondrous moment between us.

When I turn around to leave (or flee), I see that his tail is lying in front of the door, blocking my path.

“The terrible dragon allows the princess to leave.” he says, shifting his tail. One last glance at him and I see that he’s smirking, as far as dragons can do that. I smile at him, while trying to drop a curtsy. He inclines his head. On my way down, I wonder if being in this form makes him easier to get along with. Maybe it’s the exhaustion. Somehow, our relationship has changed. I enjoyed his presence today, and I know he enjoyed mine too.

 

To everyone’s surprise, tomorrow he’s still a dragon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back; I felt as if there was more to this fic and with the help of my friend, i wrote another chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

I guess I was a little bit optimistic when I suggested or no, when I hoped that the Dragon would return to his normal self in one day. It has been a week and he’s still a dragon.

“What if someone needs your aid and you can’t help them because you’re still a dragon?” I ask him with worry, pacing around in his room. A lonely empty plate is lying next to him, showing that he’d devoured his last meal.

“Then you’ll go in my stead, as you’ve proven that you’re capable of helping those in need.” the Dragon answers, glaring at me. I give him a sheepish smile, remembering my, I admit, rash trip to my village when they called for help. But he’s right: I’m not completely useless.

“All right.” I answer with all the confidence and strength I can muster. Feeling as if I’m not needed anymore, I skirt back towards the door.

“Anything else you need?” I ask only for the Dragon to give me a short shake of the head. Humming a cheery tune on my way back, I head towards the little chamber I discovered yesterday. It’s full of cloth, from soft wool to fine silk. Although my skills with the needle leave much to desire, Kasia’s sewing skills are remarkable. I hope that maybe working on a new dress will cheer her up. Piling up different cloth, I pick them up and walk through the entrance hall towards what we use as living room.

I have almost reached my destination when I hear someone knock on the door and I almost drop the cloth. I gently put it down and open the door, wondering who could be at the door.

“Excuse me, are you the maid?” a young man asks. He reminds me of the lanky farmer boys of my village, wearing worn out clothes. He clutches a bonnet and I get the feeling that he might be nervous.

“I’m the Dragon’s apprentice.” I declare with pride and authority. I can feel how his vision of me shifts, from the lone maid in a stained dress to a girl with power.

“We need help. Our village is terrorized by a chimera!” His voice is laced with panic and urgency and I give him a sympathetic smile. Having your village ravaged by a monster is something I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. With a move of my hand, I invite him to enter. Now standing in the entrance hall, he stares at me with curiosity and expectation and the whole situation dawns on me. The village needs the Dragon, who’s currently an actual dragon and can’t help them. My fear has just become real.

“I see. Excuse me for a moment.” The words leave my mouth before I can reflect on them and I fly up the stairs to the dragon’s lair. When I tear open the door, I find the room empty. Slowly catching my breath, I just stare ahead, expecting my eyes to deceive me.

I walk downstairs, racking my brain for a solution: either I tell him that the Dragon is not available and deprive him and his village of the help they desperately need, or I go in his place. As he’d said, I’ve helped once before, but a chimera… I shudder.

Hearing voices from the entrance hall I rush downstairs, wondering where he could be, and there he was. The Dragon is talking to the young man. Becoming so used to this form, I had almost forgotten how he’d looked, dressed in his fine clothing, ruling over his tower like some sort of magical monarch.

As I get closer to the two men, they stop talking and the villager left the tower. I close the door to make sure the villager can’t hear it, then I turn around to look at him properly.

“You’re back!” I exclaim. It’s so good to see him in his normal shape.

“Thanks for noticing.” he replies drily, but I think I’ve seen a smile tugging at his lips. He claps his hands, startling me. “Prepare yourself. We’re going after a chimera.”

“I’m coming with you?” I ask in bewilderment. He rolls his eyes at me. That’s the Dragon I know.

“Your assistance is required. And now hurry and prepare yourself.” At his order, I walk towards my room wondering what I need for our little journey. As I enter my room, I nearly bump into Kasia.

“Here you are.” I smile at my friend, but my face falls when I see the sad expression in her eyes.

“You’re leaving.” she states. Without me; the words hang unsaid between us.

“I’m sure it will only be a short trip.” I say and try to cheer her up. I’m not sure I even believe my own words.

“I’ll help you pack.” We work in silence, Kasia seems to know exactly what I’ll need for the trip. I change my clothing, dressing myself in comfortable trousers, a shirt and a woolen cloak. Kasia nods at my new outfit and picks up a hairbrush. She untangles all the knots and tames my hair into a braid.

“Now you’re ready.” Kasia says with pride and I beam at her. She picks up my bag and we head down to the entrance hall, where the Dragon is already waiting for us. He examines me and leaves the tower, surely to talk to the villager. ¨

I wrap my arms around Kasia and hold her. I hate to leave her alone in the tower, especially after her own torture, but I don’t really have a choice. How I wish I could help her more.

“It’s all right.” Kasia whispers, as if she had just read my thoughts. “I’ll be fine.” I look into her face and see nothing but kindness and determination in her gaze. It really seems as if Kasia is getting better.

When I leave the tower, the Dragon shoots me an impatient look, before entering the carriage. I enter too and soon the silence stretches between us, the only background noise the clip-clopping of the horses.

“So, how come you’re back?” I’ve been holding back the question since the moment I’ve seen him in the entrance hall and I lean forwards. I really want to know.

“I rested enough and I’m ready to do my duty. Just in time to fight a chimera.”

“Is a chimera hard to defeat?” I ask, and he nods, confirming my suspicions.

“You’ll have to use offensive magic, and I know we haven’t practiced this. I hope that your –” the Dragon pauses for a moment and seems to search for the next words, “– your unusual magical skills will be helpful.”

“Can you give me some advice on how to defeat a chimera?”

“Don’t get too close, don’t get hit, and do as I say.” The dragons sounds final in his advice and I nod. I look out the window, losing myself to the world outside and trying to channel my power. The abrupt halt of the carriage tears me back into reality. We’ve arrived.

As I leave the carriage a welcoming party approaches us. Their wary gaze gets filled with hope when they reach us, the people are now standing straighter and I even see some smiles.  An old man dressed in a blue waistcoat leads them, and I assume he’s the mayor.

“Thank you so much for arriving so quickly.” the man says without introducing himself, bowing before the Dragon. The Dragon only nods, urging the man to continue speaking with a hand move. “The chimera has come into the village several times, destroying houses and killing our cattle. So far nobody’s dead, but it’s only a matter of time.”

“Where has the chimera been seen the last time?” The Dragon asks.

“South the village, close to the wood.” The mayor says, and I sigh internally. Just our luck.

“Tell the village to remain in their homes, we’re immediately going after it.” The Dragon tells them, and they nod. It’s late afternoon, the sun slowly sinking at the horizon and I try not to grimace. I hope that we don’t have to hunt the chimera in the darkness. The Dragon walks away from the village closer to the wood and I follow, unsure what to do.

“All right let’s begin.” he announces, turns around and wraps his hands around mine. His hands are warm, softer than mine, and his long fingers hold me firmly. “Don’t make a fuss. We’re using a localization spell. Just lend me your magic, I’ll guide it.” I guess that despite his efforts, he’s still not fully recovered and needs my help more than he’ll admit. I close my eyes and concentrate, slowly unfolding my magic. Like someone taking the reins on a carriage, he takes the tendrils of my magic and focuses them on our target. For one moment, I see the chimera before my eyes and feel a tugging inside me, as if something pulls me into the direction of the monster. The Dragon lets go off my hands and heads into the same direction I wanted to go. I follow him, hoping that we will find the chimera soon.

My hope is slowly turning to dust, as I’m leaning against an old massive oak, trying to catch my breath. The sun is setting, and soon we’ll be wandering around in the dark. Still no sign of the chimera. Every time I think we get close, the chimera seems to sense us and changes its location.

“Is chimera hunting always this tiresome?” I ask, trying to keep the whiny undertone out of my voice.

Whatever reply the Dragon had planned gets swallowed by a deafening roar and I whirl around, staring at the source of the roar. I’ve heard tales about the chimera, how terrifying it is, but seeing it face to face is something entirely different. Not one, but three pairs of eyes are fixed on me. Venom is dripping from the snake’s fangs and the teeth of the lion could rip me apart. The horns of goat could impale a grown man. Scars and a few open wounds cover its lean and muscular body.

“Don’t look at it, dumbfounded, do something!” The Dragon screams at me and I move closer to him. I feel the Dragon summon magic and I lend him mine. A small tornado rushes towards the chimera, engulfing it and spinning it up towards the sky, higher and higher before dropping it. The chimera screams in pain and doesn’t move. I feel almost sorry for it, before it slowly starts to stand up, growling. It seems that instead of hurting it, we only piqued it.

“Look out!” The Dragon’s warning is swallowed by a fire burst aimed at us. I fall to the ground, barely escaping the flames and try to roll out of the way. The Dragon is still standing, now bombarding the monster with pointy ice shards. The chimera hisses in annoyance and focuses on him, allowing me to stand up. Calling the magic from deep inside of me, I cause the ground to tremble below the monster’s feet. The Dragon is slowly approaching it from behind, targeting the snake’s head, and in the fading sunlight, I see steel flash up. I continue shaking the earth so that the monster doesn’t focus on the Dragon. From the corner of my eye I see that the snake’s head is still focused on me, too shaken to breath fire, and I continue, hoping that it will work. But I am so focused on our target, that I’ve neglected the other heads. The goat targets the Dragon and he’s close, to awfully close. He tries to dodge the attack, but the horns of the goat hit him.

“No!” I scream as I watch him fall to the ground. For one awful moment, he doesn’t move, but then he rolls to the side, letting out a small moan of pain. The sight causes my rage and magic to burst out, and a lightning hits the chimera. It falls down and screams in agony, but I haven’t killed it, as it stands up. It gives me one last look and leaps into the Wood.

“Damn it!” I curse under my breath and rush towards the Dragon. He looks pale, his gaze unfocused and hazy, and I fear for the worst.

“Blasted creature.” the Dragon whispers, and I like to believe he means the chimera and not me.

“What can I do, how can I help you?” I ask, searching his and my bag for a bandage, a healing potion, anything.

“Nieszka.” he says, and I look at him and gasp. His dark eyes are gone, replaced by golden slits. “I need you to get away from me, and to close your eyes.”

I stand up and do as he said, anxiously waiting for what’s going to happen next. I feel his magic blaze up and the ground next to me shakes.

“You can open your eyes now.” he says. I am met by the familiar view of his dragon form. His tail is twitching, and his claws are tearing up the earth. Looking up to the stars, a deafening roar escapes his throat and my mouth falls open. I never thought that I would see him lose his composure.

“Are you all right?” I ask hesitantly, although I know that he’s not fine.

“No, I’m not!” he snaps at me. “The chimera escaped, and I turned into a dragon outside the tower! This has never happened before.” He glares at me as if it’s my fault. If someone had told me one year before that an actual, angry dragon would argue with me, I would have laughed. I put my hands on my hips and ponder.

“Well, there’s only one thing we can do: go after the chimera.” I state and make a step towards the Dragon.

“Did you hit your head, imbecile creature?” he asks, and I shake my head.  

“Look, we don’t have a lot of choices. We can stay here, close to the Wood, doing nothing, but that’s an unwise and dangerous decision. We can go home, but then there’s still a chimera on the loose. Or we can go after it and end it once and for all.” I explain to him.

“When did you start to be so reasonable?” he grumbles, but he doesn’t contradict me. That’s a good sign. Closing the distance between us, I climb on his hindleg and reach for one of the spikes on his spike, pulling myself forwards on his back.

“What are you doing?” he growls, and I feel his body vibrate. Careful not to slip, I move forwards slowly until I sit in the middle of his back.

“Well you don’t fit through the forest and flying is the easiest way to move.”

“You’re impossible.” he hisses but nevertheless, he slowly unfurls his wings. After opening and closing them a few times, he turns his head, looking at me. “I’ve never flown before.” he admits, and I gently stroke him. His eyes widen for a second.

“You can do it.” I encourage him. Despite his cold, sometimes offensive demeanor, I understand that he’s afraid. Wind whips into my face as his wings move and move until we’re high in the air. The Dragon flies around in a circle, going up before going down, slowly becoming accustomed to flying.

“Let’s do another localization spell.” I suggest and feel his magic combine with mine. The chimera hasn’t come that far, and we follow its trail. Fatigue washes over me and I rest my face against his back, careful not to let go of him. I don’t want to find out whether or not he would catch me, should I fall. Despite not flying in high altitude, I shiver, snuggling into my woolen coat. It’s a pity that I’m too tired and that it’s too dark to properly enjoy the flight.

“I see it.” The dragon announces, and I open my eyes. We’re no longer over the Wood, but close to one of the few canyons in the land. The Dragon flies down and lets out a roar, catching the chimera’s attention. He slowly pushes it towards a gorge, trapping it and blocking its escape path. The monster hisses at us, but I can see it’s scared. Its tail ending with the snake head is between its legs and six eyes are searching in vain for a way to flee.

“Now we end this.” the Dragon growls and I ready myself to climb down, but before I can make a move, the Dragon open his mouth and flames engulf the chimera. Its dying screams make my ears hurt and the smell of burnt flesh fills my nose

 “Let’s go home.” I say very quietly, and the Dragon turns away from the dead, charred chimera. We’re up in the air before I can blink, and I close my eyes.

“Rest.” The Dragon says softly, and despite my best efforts I feel myself slip into sleep.

“What are we going to do once we’re at the tower?” I ask drowsily. He can’t enter the tower like this. For now it’s fine, since it’s night and nobody will see us, but I fear for the next morning.

“Let me worry about this.” he answers, and I nod, unable to stay awake any longer.

 

The Dragon lands as gently as he can, trying not to wake his sleeping apprentice. She must have overused her magic today and needs the rest just as much as he does. Channeling his last reserves, he turns back, with her in his arms. Opening the door, he carries her up to her chambers and puts her into her bed. His gaze lingers on her peaceful face and impulsively he reaches out, cupping her face with his hand.

“Well done, impossible girl.” he says and leaves her, returning to his room.


End file.
